Author: Tasha

4 Nonfiction Picture Books Featuring Amazing Women

| Tasha

Ablaze: The Story of America’s First Female Smokejumper by Jessica Lawson, illustrated by Sarah Gonzales (9780593463659)

Deanne loved spending time in nature with her family as a young child. It was a love that continued throughout her life. When wildfires started spreading in California, Deanne applied for a job with the U.S. Forest Service. She was hired by them to fight fires. She had found exactly what she loved. It was a physical job with long hours and risks. But Deanne wanted to do more: she wanted to become a smokejumper. So, at age 26, she started taking the required physical tests. She passed them, but was found to be too small for their requirements. Deanne fought the decision, filing a formal complaint. Months later, she was allowed to take the tests and soon passed them to become the first female smokejumper in the nation.

Deanne is the epitome of resilience and determination. The book focuses on her willingness to take risks but also on her level-headed approach to gaining new skills as she pushes the envelope of society’s biases toward women. The writing here is approachable and evocative. It shares how Deanne was feeling as she hit each obstacle and overcame them. The illustrations are full of flame colors, smoke and fire. It brings the dangers and the drama directly to the reader. 

Bravery, resilience and character are all on display in this great picture book biography. Appropriate for ages 4-8.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Penguin Young Readers.

The Black Mambas: The World’s First All-Woman Anti-Poaching Unit by Kelly Crull (9798765627259)

The Black Mambas are an anti-poaching unit that works in South Africa on the Olifants West Nature Reserve. The unit was started when animals in the reserve began to disappear, particularly rhinos and pangolins. The unit is the first all-women anti-poaching unit in the world and despite doubts from family members became very successful. The book explores how the unit was created, what sorts of training they go through, and what they do on a daily basis to protect the wildlife in the reserve. One particularly dramatic series of images shows the women tracking poachers and successfully stopping them. Told via photographs, the book celebrates the impact these women have had on their community and the success of the reserve.

A stirring tale of women successfully stepping out of traditional roles. Appropriate for ages 5-10.

Reviewed from library copy.

The Five Sides of Marjorie Rice: How to Discover a Shape by Amy Alznauer, illustrated by Anna Bron (9781536229479)

Marjorie Rice grew up loving shapes, enchanted by the golden rectangle. She studied art and geometry, but her parents wanted her to be a secretary. Meanwhile, others were discovering five-sided shapes that could fit together, creating a seamless pattern. They each declared they had found them all. Majorie was raising children, doing art, helping with math, and discovered the question of five-sided shapes in her son’s Scientific American magazine. Marjorie started to work on the problem, despite it being declared as solved. Her first discovery was declared the tenth tiling pentagon, but she wasn’t done yet! 

This picture book tells the story of an amateur mathematician who discovered tiling shapes that others couldn’t. These were questions from the beginning of math and design, solved by a mother of five working out of her home. It is an inspiring story of resilience, tenacity and patience. The illustrations in the book invite readers to look at five-sided shapes themselves, seeing them elongate and shrink and they fit together.

It’s a book that makes mathematics something tangible and beautiful. Appropriate for ages 5-9.

Reviewed from library copy.

A Line Can Go Anywhere: The Brilliant, Resilient Life of Artist Ruth Asawa by Caroline McAlister, illustrated by Jamie Green (9781250310378)

Ruth Asawa was raised on her family’s vegetable farm in California. She attended Japanese school on Saturdays and won an award in her regular school for a poster she made of the Statue of Liberty. Her life was divided in half, but soon that was to become even more clear. When Pearl Harbor was attacked, her father was taken away. Two months later the rest of the family entered imprisonment. Ruth started to draw her life in the camps. At age 20 after the end of the war, she started to create the wire sculptures that she would become known for. Eventually she was asked to create the memorial for those imprisoned in the Japanese internment camps. 

Told in poetic language that uses the image of lines repeatedly, this nonfiction picture book pays a deep and respectful homage to this Japanese-American artist. Asawa rises again and again, despite the racism that impacted her childhood and teen years. The use of art to create conversation and connection is clear in this book. The illustrations are done in charcoal, watercolor and digital media. They capture the lines, the wire, the connectivity and the inhuman conditions of the camps.

A book that celebrates survival and the way art can carry a spirit through its darkest days. Appropriate for ages 5-9.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Roaring Brook Press.

2 Delightfully Detailed Picture Books

| Tasha

A Book of Maps for You by Lourdes Heuer, illustrated by Maxwell Eaton III (9780823455706)

From a map of the town with its orange groves, this book of maps explores neighborhoods, yards, the local school, the town library, the city park, and Main Street. At the end of the book, the person creating the maps heads away to a car and moving van and a new person finds the book of maps waiting as they arrive to what is their new home.

Full of wry details, this book offer the joy of maps large and small and exploring them on the page. An inspiring book that will have children creating their own maps. 

Appropriate for ages 4-6. Reviewed from library copy.

The Gnome Book by Loes Riphagen, translated by Michele Hutchison (9781782694687)

Kick is a gnome who wants to share everything about how gnomes live. Gnomes live in cities and villages mostly, between the walls. Kick shows readers how to make their own gnome hat, what clothes they have, and what pet insects they own. They share their collections and their favorite things as well as details about their family, school and life.

Filled with details to pore over, this Dutch picture book gives a humorous glimpse of the life of a tiny gnome that will have young readers glued to the page. Small touches throughout the book award a slow approach and deep reading. 

Appropriate for ages 4-6. Reviewed from library copy.

2 Big and Beautiful New Picture Books

| Tasha

Big Bike, Little Bike by Kellie DuBay Gillis, illustrated by Jacob Souva (9780063315235)

Duck finds a bike just sitting there, but it’s too big for him. After a crash, Rhino finds the bike but it’s a bit too little for him! The bike turns out to be too slow for Cheetah, but too fast for Turtle. After some messiness and some more crashing, the bike is left in the muck and sold as junk. But one person doesn’t think the bike is too old and soon has it up and going again for his daughter. Time passes and she outgrows the bike, until it is found once again by someone new. 

This merry and dynamic picture book celebrates reuse of items even if they might be the wrong size for someone or too old. It’s a look at opposites at first filled with plenty of action and then the book leans into its environmental look at how one person’s garbage can be reworked and recreated into something new and fresh. Written in easy language with lots of repetition and plenty of crashes, this picture book is inviting. The illustrations of a variety of animals and their experiences on the bike are funny and full of cycling silliness. 

Ideal for little ones learning opposites or great for bicycle storytimes. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by HarperCollins Publishers.

Big Enough by Regina Linke (9780316531153)

Ah-Fu’s grandfather decided that he was now big enough to bring home the ox from the field in the evening. He explained that Ah-Fu was too small to ride the ox. Ah-Fu set off until he met a flock of swallows who explained that Ah-Fu shouldn’t try to lead the ox by the horns as he was too small. Next, Ah-Fu met a frog who explained that Ah-Fu was too small to herd the ox from behind. Ah-Fu whispered all of these rules to himself until he found himself facing an enormous ox. He was not big enough at all!  Ah-Fu soon learned that the ox may be big but he was maybe even more scared and worried than Ah-Fu. Soon the two worked together to get home but Ah-Fu would have to break all the rules to make it happen. 

This charming tale reads like a traditional folktale with its talking animals and the structure of building a list and then breaking it down. The ox being so large and so gentle-hearted adds to the story as Ah-Fu must become the courageous one. The luminous illustrations were done digitally using traditional Chinese gongbi and xieyi techniques. They are stunningly beautiful with their misty qualities that work particularly well for this story. 

Beautifully crafted and just right to share aloud. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

3 Witty Witchy New Picture Books

| Tasha

Evelyn Witch Gets a Pet by Beth Ferry, illustrated by Charles Santoso (9781250804211)

Evelyn wakes up one morning with a feeling that she is missing something. It’s not her pumpkins or her potions, but it might just be a pet! However, she doesn’t have enough money for a pet of her choice and has to settle for the discounted mystery pet box. Inside is an egg. Now, Evelyn isn’t very patient, so she sets out to use her magic to hatch the egg. However, she also doesn’t know what hatches from eggs. Perhaps a unicorn? A narwhal? A porcupine? When nothing works, she decides to just be patient and take the best care of her egg. But what could be inside? A book that looks at patience through a wonderfully witchy lens. This picture book has a delight of a mystery at its center that will entice children to find out what in the world is in that egg.

A great Halloween read aloud without any scares. Appropriate for ages 3-6.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Roaring Brook Press.

This Year a Witch! By Zoey Abbott (9781665956024)

The young narrator of this picture book has been a bunny for Halloween and a mouse the year before that. In fact, every year, she has been entirely adorable for Halloween. But this is the year that all changes and she dresses up as a witch. She’s been preparing by growing out her hair, making accessories, and preparing for her witch’s brew. But when she is finally ready and in her costume, she’s a bit more witchy than she can handle! With a little help from her father, she embraces her pointed hat, witchy robe and dark side. 

Abbott has created a funny and smart book about the immense decision of what costume to wear at Halloween and how regrets can set in at the last minute. Children will recognize the joy at embracing a new character, the build up to the holiday and the rush of feelings as it all starts. The illustrations add to the pleasure of the book with their vibrant Halloween colors as they capture the little girl’s emotions clearly. 

A non-scary Halloween book just right to share aloud. Appropriate for ages 3-6.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Atheneum.

Witch Cat by Lucy Rowland, illustrated by Laura Hughes (9781547616718)

Pippin has always loved being a witch’s cat, but then he starts to long for something different. When he discovers a pirate ship about to leave, he is invited to join the crew and solve their mouse issues. But the sea is not the right place for seasick Pippin and he quickly leaves them at the first island they visit. It’s there that he considers very briefly being a knight’s cat but the local dragon keeps him moving. Perhaps being a pet? A cowboy’s cat? Nothing quite seems right, until he sees a rather witchy broom. But how is Pippin to find his way back home? This picture book is told in rhymes with just the right mix of Halloween and humor.

Great for sharing aloud and full of fall fun. Appropriate for ages 3-6.

Reviewed from copy provided by Bloomsbury Children’s Books.

Little Rebels Award 2025 Shortlist

| Tasha

The Little Rebels Award Shortlist for 2025 has been announced by the Alliance of Radical Booksellers. The award is UK based and offers a prize for “radical fiction aimed at children aged 0-12.” Here are the six shortlisted titles:

Cottonopolis by S F Layzell (Available in US)

The Fights That Make Us by Sarah Hagger-Holt

Keedie by Elle McNicoll

Kende! Kende! Kende! by Kirsten Cappy & Yaya Gentille, illustrated by Rahana Dariah

Mayowa and the Sea of Words by Chibundu Onuzo, with illustrations by Paula Zorite (Released in US in January 2026)

Zac and Jac by Cathy Jenkins, with illustrations by Monique Steele (Available in US)

Wake Your Friday Brain Cells – July 18 Edition

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CHILDREN’S LIT

The best children’s books for every age group – The Telegraph

‘It feels an almost holy moment’: the beauty and magic of reading aloud to children – The Guardian

Writing Advice and Literary Wisdom from the Great E.B. White – Lit Hub

LIBRARIES

Hungary’s oldest library is fighting to save 100,000 books from a beetle infestation – CNN

Libraries Pay More for E-Books. Some States Want to Change That. – New York Times

New Report: The State-by-State 2025 Legislative Landscape for Libraries – EveryLibrary

Pride Is Disappearing in Libraries Across the U.S. – Book Riot

‘There is no political power without power over the archive’ – The Observer

A Virginia public library is fighting off a takeover by private equity. – Lit Hub

YA LIT

Breaking Boundaries: YA Authors Crossing Over into Adult Fiction – Publishers Weekly

Sarah J. Maas Breaks Silence On A Court Of Thorns & Roses Book 6 – And It’s The Best Update In Years – ScreenRant

2025 Lollies Shortlist

| Tasha

The Lollies celebrate the best humorous books for children in the UK and Ireland with the winners selected by children themselves. Here are the books in the 2025 shortlists for each age category:

PICTURE BOOKS

The Goat and the Stoat and the Boat by Em Lynas, illustrated by Matt Hunt (Available in US)

The Princess with the Blazing Bottom by Beach

Spyceratops by Alex Willmore

There’s Nothing Faster Than a Cheetah by Tom Nicoll, illustrated by Ross Collins (Available in US)

AGES 6-8

Grimwood: Attack of the Stink Monster! by Nadia Shireen (Available in US)

Keisha Jones Takes on the World by Natalie Dennie, illustrated by Chanté Timothy

The Shop of Impossible Ice Creams: Big Berry Robbery by Shane Hegarty, illustrated by Jeff Crowther (Coming to the US in January 2026)

Trixie Pickle Art Avenger: Toxic Takedown by Olaf Falafel

AGES 9-12

The Boss of Everyone! by Danny Wallace, illustrated by Gemma Correll (Available in US)

Evil Emperor Penguin: The World Will Be Mine! by Laura Ellen Anderson

Kofi and the Rap Battle Summer by Jeffry Boakye, illustrated by Beth Suzanna and Paul Kellam

Solve Your Own Mystery: The Transylvanian Express by Gareth P. Jones, illustrated by Louise Forshaw

NONFICTION

Comic Strip Science: Physics by Paul Mason and Jess Bradley

Funny Beasts by Paul Mason, illustrated by Tony De Saulles (Available in US)

Kay’s Incredible Inventions by Adam Kay, illustrated by Henry Paker

Would You Rather? Ancient Romans by Clive Gifford, illustrated by Tim Wesson (Available in US)

3 Picture Books to Make Your Heart Soar

| Tasha

Papilio by Ben Clanton, Corey R. Tabor and Andy Chou Musser (9780593693254)

Three well-known children’s book creators have come together to each tell part of the story of the caterpillar, chrysalis and butterfly life stages. Papilio starts life bursting out of her egg. She eats leaves but then falls to the ground. She can’t reach the enticing strawberry above her without some help from a friendly mouse. In her chrysalis, she is safe and sound or so she thinks. A robin gets a bit too interested in her and it’s that same friendly mouse who rescues her. Finally, as a butterfly she finds getting to the flower a little more challenging than she thought. Luckily, the mouse is there again to lend a paw. Seeing the stages done in different but supportive art styles is a real pleasure.

Young readers will enjoy the energy and action in each stage. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

To See an Owl by Mathew Cordell (9780593649893)

Janie loves owls and dreams of being able to see one in the wild. Her teacher this year is a birder and his favorite birds are owls too. She tries to find an owl, learning about whitewash and pellets, listening hard and keeping an eye out. She even heads into the woods at night with her mother, but no owl is found. Months go by and Janie brings in her collection of owl information and shares it with her class. Her teacher is amazed and shows her on a map where he saw a pair of great horned owls. Could this be the clue that Janie needs?

This quiet picture book speaks to the importance of persistence and patience when entering nature. Watching Janie’s knowledge grow organically throughout the book is a treat. Cordell’s signature fine-lined drawings offer a glimpse of nature, Janie’s family and her search for the elusive owl. 

Appropriate for ages 4-7.  Reviewed from library copy.

Wind Watchers by Micha Archer (9780593616550)

Wind blows in a variety of ways. Fluttering spring blossoms, bringing spring showers. It helps fly kites and ripples the pond on hot days. Sometimes Wind brings a surprise thunderstorm. In fall, Wind scatters seeds and blows leaves off trees. Winter wind brings icy cold and blizzards. Celebrate the seasons with this joyful interaction between children and the wind. Written and illustrated by Archer, a Caldecott Honor winner, the illustrations are done in inks and collage. The nature scenes and the rain fall are particularly striking and will draw young readers in. 

Appropriate for ages 3-5. Reviewed from library copy.

3 Wonderful Watery Picture Books

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The Peddler of Puddles by Beth Ferry and Tom Lichtenheld (9780063318342)

The peddler of puddles is a turtle who moves slowly across the area. Using his heavy puddle machine makes puddles for all sorts of creatures along the way. Puddles for ducks, frogs, insects and children. He doesn’t ask for anything in return, but the others often give him food or smiles in thanks. When he reaches the seashore for the first time, the peddler is shocked. It’s an enormous puddle! He loves playing with a girl in the sea, but when it’s time to go his cart is stuck in the sand. He almost gives up, but then his friends that he’s helped along the way come along with a big surprise.

With just enough machinery and tinkering, this soggy read is also sunny throughout. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

Shark Girl by Kate Beaton (9781250184924)

In a story delightfully different than Little Mermaid, Shark Girl sets out to protect sealife by joining the crew of a fishing vessel. She wants a quick revenge but soon finds out that it takes a lot more to get a crew to mutiny even against an awful captain. But through hard work together, skill in fishing, and studying human nature, Shark Girl starts to make new connections. It is then that the captain has a plan that will keep Shark Girl in his boat forever. What’s a toothy girl to do? Beaton is a wonder, effortlessly moving between children’s picture books and award-winning adult graphic memoirs.

This book reads aloud beautifully telling a story of both ecology and girl power. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

We Leap Together by Christopher Silas Neal (9780593812648)

A human mother and child is shown next to a mother whale and her calf in this smart picture book. The similarities between the two lives are emphasized with busy lanes of car traffic compared to the busy shoals of fish. They listen to songs, blow bubbles, dive deep, see colorful creatures, and wave to friends. The bring the book full circle, the humans board a whale-watching boat and the two families leap together in joy. Told in simple sentences, this picture book is approachable and clearly shows our connection to nature and our similarities with other creatures. The illustrations are simple too, telling the story just as profoundly as the words.

Just right for sharing and discussing. Appropriate for ages 3-6.

Reviewed from library copy.